Downfall of Cialis·Viagra…market taken over by generics

Erectile dysfunction market in Q2 sold ₩29.5 billion…shows recovery from COVID-19 depression

Local generics including Palpal·Sendom·Gugu lead the market

Viagra’s rank falls to 4th for the first time… Cialis’s prolonged slump continues

‘Viagra,’ which had once held a commanding lead over the erectile dysfunction treatment market, is having trouble making a comeback.

 

After being taken over by domestic generics Palpal,’ and ‘Sendom,’ it had also been outrun by another local generic, ‘Gugu.’ Lilly’s Cialis is also having trouble making a comeback due to generic competition.

 

According to the pharmaceutical research institution IQVIA, the oral erectile dysfunction treatment market in Q2 marked ₩29.5 billion, showing a 48% YOY increase.

 

Also, this was a 3.1% increase from the previous quarter.

 

The erectile dysfunction treatment market had seen a reduction in sales in Q1 and Q2 of last year and had only started making a recovery since the second half of last year.

 

In 1H last year, the reduced number of patients’ hospital visits as well as restrictions in sales and marketing due to the spread of COVID-19 had slowed down sales, but the market recovered to the previous year's level from the second half of the year.

 

Generics from domestic companies are showing increasing influence over the market.

 

Hanmi Pharm’s Viagra generic Palpal sold ₩5 billion in Q2, solidifying its lead in the market.

 

Palpal’s sales had fallen 4.4% YOY, but still had a far lead over the runner-up by that makes around ₩2 billion in quarterly sales.

 

Palpal, which was released immediately after Viagra’s patent expiry in 2012, had surpassed Viagra’s sales in Q2 2013 and Cialis’s sales in Q4 2015, then has been holding the lead in the erectile dysfunction treatment market for 6 years.

 

Chong Kun Dang’s Cialis generic Cendom kept its 2nd place by selling ₩2.7 billion in Q2, a 5.6% YOY increase.

 

Cendom, which was released after Cialis’s patent expired in September 2015, gradually increased its share in the market to surpass its original Cialis in Q4 2017 and Viagra in Q4 2018 and reach second place in the overall erectile dysfunction treatment market.

 

Hanmi Pharm’s Cialis generic Gugu also marked 3rd place for the first time since its release.

 

Gugu sold ₩2.2 billion in Q2, making a 9.5% YOY increase.

 

Gugu’s sales had surpassed Cialis in Q2 2019 and Viagra for the first time in this term.

 

On the other hand, originals from multinational pharmaceutical companies had not shared such positive performance in sales.

 

Viatris Korea’s Viagra sold ₩2.1 billion in Q2 and increased 1.0% YOY, but still gave way to Gugu and lost its 3rd place in the market.

 

This was the first time Viagra had ranked 4th in the erectile dysfunction treatment market.

 

Viagra lost its lead in 2013 to Palpal, then became 3rd place in 2018 being outrun by Cendom.

 

Since then, the product had stayed in its place for 2 years but then was surpassed by Gugu this year.

 

Viagra, which had once represented the erectile dysfunction treatment market, is now selling less than half of what Palpal sells.

 

Sales of Lilly’s Cialis also fell 6.5% YOY to mark ₩1.5 billion in Q2.

 

The drug had held a strong lead in the market for 3 years, from Q3 2012 to Q3 2015, but had to hand over the lead in the domestic erectile dysfunction treatment market to Hanmi’s Palpal upon patent expiry.

 

Since then, Pfizer's Viagra and Chong Kun Dang’s Cendom had sequentially exceeded Cialis’s sales.

 

In 2018, Lilly had signed an agreement with its former sales partner, Handok, for the domestic distribution, marketing, and sales of Cialis, but saw no recovery in sales.